Humans Don't Make Good Familiars- Part 75

Lauric Izabal’s POV

Suddenly, I heard a loud sound like thunder rumble from one of the other obstacles. “Jake! What was that noise?” Lady Suma shouted. Her familiar was probably doing something reckless again. I ignored her and went back to Loyalty, who had just managed to cross the river and was on his way to the sixth obstacle, an underground maze of sorts.

“Loyalty, go through the middle route.” I ordered him, then began the far sight ritual. It was a spell that masters could perform on their familiars who had already undergone the Rite of Dominance to see through their eyes. “Our minds become one. Our thoughts become the same. I see what you see. I know what you know.” I cast the spell and began to see through Loyalty’s eyes. Suddenly I was slithering my way through a tunnel. Vines that were hanging from the dirt ceiling quickly zoomed past. Carefully, I guided him as he turned corners and went up inclines, doing my best to keep him in a straight path. At one point, I thought I saw something carved into the walls, but his vision in darkness is less than perfect. Eventually, I helped him make his way out and he was on to the next obstacle.

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Jake’s POV

“Well, I would definitely call this an obstacle.” I said looking up the cliffside. I stood at the bottom of a rocky and jagged cliff about fifty feet high. “Or maybe an impossible task.” I mumbled.

“Okay Jake, just do what you did when you got out of the pit. It’s just the same.” Suma said over our connection.

“Are you crazy?” I nearly spat. “This is nothing like the pit! If I fell off the side of the wall down there all that I had to worry about was a bruised butt and ego. If I fall here I’m going to die!”

“Well, maybe you could go slowly?” She suggested.

“Yeah… I don’t think that’s going to help.” I said and knocked two fingers on the rocky face of the cliff.

“Don’t worry Jake, this is the last major obstacle. Once you finish this-“ She started to say, but I cut her off.

“Suma, it doesn’t matter if this is the final obstacle or the key to curing cancer, I can’t climb this… hold on.” I was halfway through complaining when I realized something. “Suma, the point of this obstacle is to get to the top of the cliff right?”

“Yes Jake, why do you ask?”

“Do the rules specifically say I need to climb the cliff?”

“Um no, not to my knowledge.” She answered.

“Good, because that’s not happening, but I might have an idea on another way up.” I told her.

“What, like a spell perhaps?” She wondered.

“Yes. Now Suma, I can use nature magic right, even though I have Inversion magic?” I clarified.

“Of course Jake, you know that.” She answered, then asked concerned, “Why?”

“If I can’t go to the top of the mountain, I’ll bring the top of the mountain to me.” I suggested.

In a very confused and slightly worried tone, she asked, “…What?”

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Suma’s POV

I watched from my perch on the observation tower as Jake used Nature Spell after Nature Spell to move incredible amounts of dirt and rock from the side of the cliff, then climb to the top of the pile, and start again. Slowly, he was making his way to the top, and leaving a path of destroyed rubble in his wake. He would raise his hands above his head, then clench his fists and throw them down to his side, and the rocks would break apart and fall beside him; ready to be climbed. “Are you doing okay, Jake?” I asked in a mixture of amazed and horrified.

“I’m… fine.” He answered grunting with each motion.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“Yeah, I just haven’t had to cast this many spells in a row before. It’s more mentally tiring then I assumed it would be.” He explained. “I can’t tell from here, how far along am I?”

“You’re about a quarter of the way done, maybe a third.” I said and he climbed up his most recent pile of debris.

He was panting as he spoke, “It… felt like… more than.. that.”

“Jake, you mana can’t be running out already can it?” I asked concerned.

“No, I don’t think so,” he said, and I saw him sit down on his pile of rubble. “But repeatedly climbing up all of these rocks sure is taking the wind out of me. Especially after everything else I’ve done today.” He then pulled out something from the garment he keeps on his back, and placed it to his mouth. I couldn’t see it clearly from where I was, but it looked like he was either eating or drinking. “I need to take a break for a second,” he said.

“Okay, just let me know when you are ready to continue. I’m going to fly to the next obstacle and try to get a better look at it.”

“How may more do I have left?” He wondered.

“Only one, I believe.” With that, I took to the skies.